When transporting a firearm, in particular a long arm such as a rifle or shotgun, it is standard to use a gun case. When the gun is of the takedown type capable of being broken down into several short pieces, the gun case can have a size somewhat smaller than the assembled weapon; otherwise it is normally a long rectangular box of characteristic shape, although as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,219 a custom case for a pistol can be fairly small. This is not a problem if one is traveling by car or train to the destination where the arm is being used, since the gun case remains in the custody of the traveler. When traveling by airplane, however, the extra gun case is a problem in that it is of a size and shape that makes it particularly easy to lose since it is much smaller than a normal piece of luggage and hard to handle because of its shape. It is also an attractive object of theft, due to the characteristic size and shape of the gun case and the fact that it can be counted on to contain something valuable.
German Utility Model 200 03 209 of Herbert Sauer describes a luggage system that is specifically set up so that a long-arm gun case can be strapped to a side of a duffel bag. This arrangement does eliminate having to handle the two pieces separately, but still leaves the gun case basically exposed and subject to theft.